Electrometallurgical furnace



F. LOUVRIERJ ELECTROMETALLURGiCAL FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-5| I919.

Patented June 8, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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F. LOUVRIER.

I ELECTROMETALLURGIBAL FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.5, 1919.

Patented June 8, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANQOIS LOUVRIER, F PAIMIBOEUF, FRANCE.

ELECTROMETALLURGICAL FURNACE.

Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented June 8, 1920.

Application filed April 5, 1919. Serial no. 287,795.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANQOIS LoUyRmR, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at 'Paimboeuf, Loire Infrieure, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrometallurglcal Furnaces; and

I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exfatt description of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to electrometallurgical furnaces and more particularly to such furnaces especiall adapted for the reduction of zinc ore and of metallic ores which are volatile at their rising temperatures. Herebefore many experiments have been made with electric furnaces for producing industrial zinc but these furnaces have not given the results desired.

' An object of the present invention is to provide an electro-metallurgical furnace wherein the temperature is kept uniform in the zone of reduction, the ores to be treated will enter this zone in a perfectlydry state and the atmosphere being entirely excluded from the zone of reduction whereby the elec trothermic production of zinc will be commercialized.

With the above and other objects in view which will hereinafter appear as the description continues, the invention consists of the notel features of construction, combination and formation of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been shown a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the pre cise structural details herein exhibited, butthe right is hereby reserved to any changes,

alterations or modifications to which recourse may be had that come within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing the efiiciency of the same.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the furnace embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section through the furnace;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through Fig.

Fig. 5 is a detail section of a slightly modified means for supporting the vertical electrodes.

Referring now more particularly to the' accompanying drawings wherein like and corresponding parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the several views.

The furnace as a whole comprises a body portion 1 having a reduction chamber 2 adapted to receive the zinc ores which are supplied through the feeding column 3. The walls of the furnace are formed of refractory material not susceptible of entering into the reaction with the treated metal or slags. The body portion of the furnace is preferably cylindrical and arranged upon the center of the'bottom of the furnace is a central pedestal or sleeper 4 having its upper face tapered so as to converge toward the bottom of the furnace, and arranged around this pedestal is a trench 5 forming an annular crucible. Communicati'ng with this crucible are outlet openings which have leading therefrom the spouts, one of which indicated by the numeral 6 is for the slag and the other one indicated by the numeral 7 is for drawing off the metals, and it will be noted that these spouts are arranged at different levels and the last a little above the bottom of the crucible so that a thin layer electrodes 8 and 9 can be connected by a suitable conductor 10. The roof 11 of the fur nace has depending therethrough a plurality of electrodes 12 being preferably six in num her and are arranged in a circle above the crucible 5. These electrodes may be raised and lowered by any suitable mechanical means and are supported within air-tight stuffing boxes l3. The feeding column comprises a pair of spaced walls 14 which form an annular chamber 15 therebetween and the adjacent peripheries of these walls 14 are provided with a plurality of shelves 16. Encircling the upper end of the feeding column is a carbon supply chamber 17 which is 18, From this, it is apparent that t is c0841 dust arranged within the chamber 17' will pass down through the chamber 15 and finally into the furnace, but the 0 al dust when passing through the chambers will be retarded by the shelves 16 which are arranged in staggered relation.

Communicating with the upper end of the chamber 15 is an outlet pipe 19 which leads the zinc vapors to suitable condensers. The stuffing boxes 13 are made of suitable insulating material, and comprise a casing 20 which forms a receptacle for holding the coal dust and-= arranged within the bottom of this receptacle is a valve 2i. These valves are adapted to be manually oscillated through the handle 22 and their bottoms a re provided with perforations 23 which are adapted to register with other perforations made into a flat and fixed piece 23 so that the coal dust may enter into the zone of re duction around the electrodes.

The zinc ore is fed into the chamber through the feeding column and will finally be deposited within the reduction chamber 2. The electrical disposition and the tension employed may differ according to the dimensions and the nature of the current utilized the distance between the electrodes 12 and the central electrodes 8 may be regulated, so that they will obviously be proportioned to the tension existing between themselves. In any case the current will be distributed in such a way that it will traverse the largest possible proportion of the ores to be treated with an intensity as uniform as possible.

By this arrangement of the electrodes it is obvious that the layer of metal within the crucible and the central electrode 8 constitute the neutral points. Resulting that the mass to be treated which accumulates within the reduction chamber is traversed on all of its sides by the electric current and thus brought to a uniform temperature through out. This temperature may be modified according to the requirements by varying the suspension of the movable electrodes 12. 3y stuffing boxes an absolute electric seal is established for excluding the atmospheric air. By introducing coal dust into the reduction chamber around the electrodes, the consumption of these is reduced, the reduction of the ores is facilitated and the existence of carbonic acid inside of the furnace is prevented By providing the annular chamber around the feeding column, the ores before they are introduced into the reduction chamber are dried and brought to a high temperature by means of the lost heat from the furnace. and as the metallic vapors pass through this annular chamber they are subjected to a slow cooling process. Besides the introduction of coal dust into the annular chamber upon the shelves allows to reduce into carbon dioxid the carbonic acid which might be produced accidentally in the reduction chamber.

laving thus fully described my inyention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An electro-metallurgical furnace comprising a reduction chamber, a feeding column leading thereto, an annular chambe surrounding said feeding column and lead ing to said reduction chan'iber, and means for supplying coal dust upon shelves into said annular chamber substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. An electro-inetallurgical furnace comprising a reduction chamber, fee ling col umn leading to said reduction chamber, said. I

feeding column comprising a pair of spaced. walls forming an annular conduit therebctween, a plurality of shelves arranged between said walls in staggered relation, means whereby coal dust may be fed upon t e shelves, and a pipecfor leading zinc rapt :1 from the upper end of said annular conduit to suitable condensers substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In an electro-metallurgical furnace comprising a body portion having a redi tion chambe', a pedestal arranged within said body portion, a crucible encircling said pedestal, electrodes arranged within said pedestal and said crucible, and a plurality of vertically adjustable electrodes dep idi; within said reduction chamber and an above said crucible substantially as and the purpose specified.

i. In an electrometallurgical furnace comprising a body portion having a reduc" tion chamber, a crucible arranged within said body portion, a feeding column leading to said reduction chamber. a plurality of electrodes depending within said reduction chamber, stuffing boxes for sup 'iorting said electrodes, said stutling boxes adapted to tain coal-dust. and valves, arranged within said stuffing boxes whereby the coal dust may be delivered to said reduction chamber substantially as and for the purpose specilied.

5. An electro-metallurgical furnace com prising a reduction chamber. a feeding col umn leading to said reduction chamber. s 'd feeding column comprising a pair of spaced walls forming a condensing chamhcr therebetween. a plurality of shelves arranged between said walls in staggered relation. means whereby coal dust may be fed through said condensing chamber into said rcduction chamber and a condensing pipe leading from the upper end of said condensing chann ber substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand "FRAYQUIR lrfil l'l i '1' Eli, 

